


Strictly Casual

by servantofclio



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-04
Updated: 2014-04-07
Packaged: 2018-01-18 02:55:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1412329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/servantofclio/pseuds/servantofclio
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What Shepard has with Garrus is just a little blowing off steam. Nothing serious, strictly casual. ... Right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> An old kmeme fill I rediscovered and decided to clean up for posting. This is set post-Suicide Mission and pre-ME3.

When Shepard arrived for the weekly _Normandy_ “Girls’ Night,” Kasumi was already behind the bar mixing drinks. “Hey, Shep,” she greeted her. “Got some asari liqueurs, so I’m trying out some new cocktails. Wanna try one?”

 

Shepard decided she was best off not knowing where Kasumi had gotten the liqueurs from. “Sure, hit me.”

 

Kasumi passed her a glass filled with something pink and bubbly. She waited until Shepard had taken a mouthful before saying, “So, you and Garrus?”

 

Shepard part-swallowed, part-inhaled her mouthful. Sweet. “I, ah... we’re just friends, Kasumi.”

 

“Mm-hm. Friends who shared a bottle of wine together before we hit the Omega-Four Relay, is what I hear.”

 

The door slid open. “What are you talking about?” Tali asked, coming in with Kelly in tow.

 

“Nothing,” said Shepard quickly.

 

“Nothing except how Garrus went up to Shepard’s quarters before we hit the relay.” Kasumi passed fresh glasses to both of the other women, Tali’s in a special bulb with a straw.

 

“Ooh, I knew it!” cried Kelly, settling herself on a stool.

 

Tali squealed, accepting her drink. “Really? It is about time something happened with you two.”

 

This time Shepard managed to swallow without inhaling anything. “What?”

 

“Please, Shepard. I’ve been watching you two together for a long time.”

 

“We’re friends,” Shepard said defensively.

 

Kelly pouted. “So are you saying nothing happened? That would be very disappointing.” She gazed at Shepard over the rim of her glass with big pleading eyes.

 

“Well...” she admitted, and all three of them leaned forward slightly. “Yeah. Okay. There was a little... tension relief. Just... blowing off some steam.”

 

Kasumi said, “So are we talking, what, a back rub here, or something a little more sweaty and naked?”

 

“Sweaty and naked?” asked Jack, making her entrance late, as usual. “Aw, I like the sound of this. Catch me up.”

 

Shepard groaned. “Come on, guys, do we have to do this?”

 

“What are we talking about?” Jack sneered at the pink cocktail Kasumi handed her, but downed half of it anyway.

 

“Shepard and Garrus,” Kelly informed her.

 

“Turian, huh? Good choice.”

 

“It’s not like he’s just any turian.” Shepard finished her cocktail, and Kasumi passed her a refill before she even thought to ask for one. “He’s a friend.”

 

“So you keep saying,” Kasumi observed. “But apparently you’re friends who... blow off steam together.”

 

Jack cackled. “Nice. You sure as fuck could stand to unwind a little, Shepard.”

 

Shepard glared at her as she took another drink. She was beginning to feel a little tingly. “Well, I did,” she announced defiantly. “So there.”

 

“Well, how was it?” Tali asked.

 

Shepard scoffed. “I’m not telling you that.”

 

“C’mon, Shep,” Kasumi said. “Some of us have to live vicariously.”

 

“Most of us,” Kelly added.

 

“Especially me,” Tali put in.

 

Shepard sighed. Somehow her second cocktail was mostly gone. Seemed like asari liquor might have more of a kick than she’d thought. She gave in. “Fine. It was good.”

 

“Just ‘good’?” Kasumi asked, with a smile.

 

“No, it was really good.” A smile crept over her face. “He’s very... thorough.”

 

“Mm, I like the sound of that,” said Kelly.

 

“A lot more dexterous than I thought. You know, with the finger thing.” Shepard waved her own five-fingered hand to demonstrate.

 

Tali sniffed. “Humans. You must not have actually watched him tinkering with anything, Shepard, or you’d have known he’s good with his hands.”

 

“Well, he’s _very_ good with his hands. And he does this thing... did you know how long their tongues are?”

 

Jack grinned, eyes going distant. “Oh, yeah.”

 

The other three women leaned forward. “Do tell,” Kelly breathed.

 

“And flexible.” Shepard felt her face heat up as she remembered. “And... really good at hitting all the right... spots.”

 

“Ohh,” Kelly sighed.

 

“Turians don’t have breasts, right?” said Kasumi. “That wasn’t weird?”

 

Shepard shook her head. “Figured them out right away. Fast learner. And the clit, too.” Damn, her glass was empty again. She looked at it mournfully, and Kasumi pressed another into her hand. Her third? Fourth? She couldn’t remember.

 

“Turian chicks have clits, too,” said Jack. Everyone turned to look at her. “What?” she said. “C’mon, Shepard, keep going.” She leaned forward, elbows braced on her knees. “Tell us about the _goods._ ”

 

Shepard groaned, mortified. Her face felt like it was on fire, and everyone else was laughing. She closed her eyes and put one hand over her face.

 

“You did get to _see_ it, right?” Jack kept going. “You got acquainted with the little sniper? Rode the turian stallion? You...”

 

“Enough!” She meant it to sound all Commander-like, but the word came out sounding a lot more pathetic. “Yeah. Yeah, I did.”

 

“And?” said Tali.

 

Shepard looked at her with an expression of betrayal. Tali shrugged. Kasumi was grinning under her hood, and Kelly’s eyes were as big as saucers. Shepard sighed. “Not so little.”

 

Over the clamor of laughter that followed, she tried to clarify. “But not like... not like... not too big, either, right? Like, not ‘whoa, where am I gonna put all that,’ more like ‘damn, that is just right,’ okay?”

 

Somewhere in the back of her brain, there was a little voice telling her that Garrus would be appalled if he knew what she’d been saying about him. It was hard to hear it under the buzz of alcohol and the sound of everyone talking, though. “That’s enough,” she mumbled. She shook her finger at them for emphasis. It made her sway on her stool a little. “It was all good, okay, and I’m not telling you gossips anything else.”

 

Jack grinned. “Ooookay, Shepard.”

 

There was a moment’s silence. “So, are you two... together now? Paired off?” asked Tali. Kelly immediately perked up.

 

“No.” Shepard shook her head vigorously. “No, no, no. It’s, um... stric’ly casual. Just... blowing off steam. Friends with benefits.” She had to enunciate with care. “It’s the... the friendship that’s really important. So. I wouldn’t want to, uh. Risk messing that up.”

 

Kelly said, “Sooo... you’re not exclusive?”

 

“Oh no,” said Shepard. “Not at all.”


	2. Chapter 2

Over breakfast, Garrus was reviewing the latest report on the shipwide repairs required after they’d come back from the Collector Base. The weapons systems hadn’t been as badly damaged as others, but there were still some repairs to be made, and perhaps some opportunities to squeeze better performance out of the ship’s guns...

 

“Hey Garrus. Mind if I join you?”

 

He blinked, pulling his attention away from the datapad. “Hi, Tali. Go ahead. Hey, listen, I have a question about the engine repairs...”

 

“Oh, let’s not talk work just yet,” she said, settling into the chair opposite his. “Don’t you think we need to relax more often?”

 

He blinked at her a bit more. Tali was usually more than willing to talk about the ship’s systems. “Er. I suppose. There’s still a lot to do, though.”

 

“There is,” she agreed, “but don’t the humans have some saying about all work and no play?”

 

“Humans have a saying about everything. More than one, usually. Sometimes they mean opposite things.”

 

Tali leaned forward, her elbows on the table. “Anyway, I was thinking you and I should take some time to play. Maybe after our shifts?”

 

Whatever Garrus had been originally going to say passed clean out of his head as he felt pressure against his foot. Even through his boot, he could tell that Tali’s long toes were lightly but intimately interlaced with his, a classic flirtation move for turians that he hadn’t thought anyone else on board was even aware of. In spite of her blatant move, he said, “I, um... what, do you have some new extranet game to try out?”

 

Her golden eyes were fixed on him through her mask, unblinking. Her voice dropped a notch. “I was thinking something a little more personal.”

 

“I, ah... hm.” He lowered his voice. “What did you have in mind? I, uh, wouldn’t want you to get sick.”

 

“Oh, I’m sure we can find some... creative solutions to that problem.”

 

Garrus had no idea what to say. Sure, there was plenty he admired about Tali, but it had never occurred to him that she might be interested in him sexually. It was even more surprising than when Shepard had propositioned him in the battery.

 

He was saved by the arrival of Shepard herself, who sank down next to Tali with a pinched expression and bloodshot eyes. “Are you all right, Shepard?” he asked.

 

She swallowed down two large white tablets and rubbed her forehead. “Asari are evil,” she mumbled. “Especially their booze.”

 

Tali laughed, her foot sliding away from his. “Tough morning, Shepard?”

 

“Kasumi might be evil, too. Actually, I think all of you are.”

 

Tali rose from her seat. “I should get back to the engine room. Think about what I said, though, Garrus.” Her hip brushed against his shoulder as she walked past. Deliberately, he was sure. He glanced after her, as she headed to the elevator with her hips swaying. She didn’t look back, though.

 

Turning back to the table, he found Shepard frowning after Tali. “Bad night?” he inquired.

 

Her expression relaxed as her focus returned to him. “Too many asari cocktails,” she admitted. “They’re sneaky. Like Eclipse mercs. Look all pretty, and then _wham_.”

 

He laughed, and Shepard smiled back at him. “How was your evening?” she asked.

 

He shrugged. “Did a little work on the guns.”

 

“Garrus...”

 

“And then I played Skyllian Five with Daniels and Donnelly and Joker,” he interrupted.

 

She smiled. “Good. You don’t need to work so hard on those guns.”

 

He cocked his head. “Didn’t think you minded.”

 

She coughed, her cheeks darkening, and the conversation passed on to other subjects.

 

#

 

There was a flower lying on Garrus’s workstation.

 

He looked around, baffled, but there was no one in the main battery, as usual; he switched his visor to infrared, but it didn’t detect anyone hiding among the manifolds, either. Yet there was the flower, something red with a long stem. The door had been locked when he came in, but then again there were plenty of people on the _Normandy_ who could deal with a lock. He picked it up gingerly; the heavy scent of it made his nasal passages itch. He set it aside on the workbench.

 

He was well into his work, tinkering with the settings, when he heard the door slide open behind him. “Shepard,” he started, only to be interrupted by the person behind him clearing her throat. Garrus turned around to find Kelly Chambers standing just inside the door, one hand on a hip. “Oh! Can I do something for you, Chambers?”

 

She gave him a broad smile. “Garrus, I’ve told you before to call me Kelly.”

 

“Right.” He rubbed the back of his neck, wondering what she was doing here. She’d made a visit or two soon after he arrived on the ship, and after that everyone but Shepard, and occasionally Tali, left him to his own devices in here, a state of affairs that he didn’t mind at all. “Kelly. Was there something you needed?”

 

“Actually, I came to see if there was something _you_ needed.”

 

He regarded her with puzzlement. “No, not at all.”

 

She approached slowly. “Did I ever tell you how much I appreciated you all coming for us on the Collector Base?” Her voice sounded a little breathy.

 

“No, I, uh... don’t think you did,” he said, inching backwards as she approached.

 

She took a deep breath, looking up at him through her eyelashes. That seemed oddly inefficient. “I... I feel like I have a second chance at life. And I want to make the most of it. I want to experience... everything I’ve ever dreamed about.”

 

“Oh.” The console was at his back, trapping him. “That’s good. You should... do that.”

 

Kelly was right in front of him now, close enough to reach out and run her fingers down his forearm, from elbow to wrist, which she did. He couldn’t feel it through his armor, but there couldn’t be much doubt of her intent. “Do you know one thing I’ve always wanted to do?” she asked.

 

Her eyes were bright, and he’d gained enough appreciation for the human female form to recognize that she must be an attractive example of it. But he’d never even considered... “Er... what?” he asked, trying to buy himself some time.

 

The door slid open again, revealing Shepard. Her brows drew together as she saw them.

 

“Shepard!” Garrus greeted her, a little too loudly. Kelly jumped. “Need me for something?”

 

Shepard’s expression shifted too rapidly for him to read. She crossed her arms over her chest and dropped her weight back on one heel. “Is this a work call that I’m interrupting?”

 

Kelly stepped back, turning toward Shepard, and Garrus breathed a sigh of relief. “No, I’m sorry, I was just on a break and came to see Garrus.”

 

“I see.” She still seemed oddly hesitant. “Well, if you’re busy, Garrus...”

 

“Actually,” he said hastily, “I have some reports I’d like to review with you, Shepard.”

 

“Sure.” Finally she stepped all the way into the battery.

 

Kelly’s face fell, but she said cheerfully enough, “All right. I’ll see you both later, then!” and departed, directing another bright smile at Garrus.

 

“Was she, ah... bothering you?” Shepard asked as the door closed.

 

“Not... exactly,” he said. In truth, Kelly had been a little terrifying while she was here, but now that she was gone, he wasn’t sure _what_ he thought about her.

 

Shepard glanced aside, frowning a little and rubbing the back of her neck. “Oh.” Her eye fell on his workbench, and her frown deepened. “Did Kelly bring that?”

 

Oh. The flower. “No,” Garrus said. “I found it when I came in. I thought you might have left it, actually.”

 

Shepard laughed a little, but her brow was still creased. “No. You know me, Garrus. I’m not much for romantic gestures.”

 

“Is that what it is?”

 

She shrugged. “Could be, anyway. It’s a rose, and they have a lot of romantic symbolism in some human cultures.”

 

He picked it up and sneezed as the scent wafted to his nose again. “It doesn’t seem to agree with me.” He held out the rose to her. “Would you like it?”

 

Her cheeks colored slightly. “Well... I just said I wasn’t big on romance.”

 

“Then consider it a gift from a friend? Please? It’ll just make me sneeze again if I keep it in here.”

 

She smiled again, more easily. “Well. As a favor to you, then.” She took the flower from him, idly twirling the stem in her fingers. “Didn’t you say you had some reports for me?”

 

“Oh. Right.” He didn’t have any reports ready, but it only took a moment to bring up some schematics to show her, and he couldn’t help enjoying how she had to stand close to him to look over his shoulder.


	3. Chapter 3

Garrus was setting up some diagnostics to run while he was off-shift when his omni-tool pinged.

 

_I have some more checks to make on the engine. Catch you later? –Tali_

 

He was a little relieved, to tell the truth. He’d done a little hasty research on the... ah... quarian question, and it looked as though female anatomy lined up fairly well with human, but he still wasn’t quite sure what he thought about it. Tali was a friend, sure, and it wasn’t like he and Shepard had made each other any promises, but it just... wasn’t something he’d really considered before.

 

He wandered out of the battery and down the corridor thinking. And then there was Kelly, too. He’d been in a long dry spell, and it was a little strange to suddenly have multiple opportunities. It might not be smart, though, to get involved in something complicated on the crew; turians knew how to leave casual sex casual, but if human vids were anything to go by, humans weren’t so good at that. He was tempted to call Shepard to see if she was free, but he didn’t want to presume. She might want to spend her free time elsewhere. Or she might be busy.

 

“Well, well, look who it is.”

 

Startled, Garrus returned his attention to the here and now, where Jack shut the refrigerator door and hopped up on the counter, swinging her feet. “Jack,” he said cautiously. He got along fairly well with the volatile biotic, but you could never quite be sure what sort of mood she was in.

 

“Vakarian,” she returned. She grinned. Maybe a good mood, then. “Just the man I was looking for.”

 

“Really? Why?”

 

“Because I’m horny, and you’re probably the best lay on this ship.”

 

Garrus’s jaw dropped. “What?”

 

“Salarians are fucking sexless, and Grunt doesn’t have a fucking idea what he’s doing,” she said, ticking off the males of the crew on her fingers. “Massani probably knows his way around a pussy, but he’s a selfish shit. I don’t feel like fucking Cerberus scum tonight. So how about it? Besides...” She ran her tongue around her full lips, slowly and lasciviously. “I bet I can give you the blowjob of your dreams.”

 

“I, ah...” Garrus rubbed the back of his neck, distracted by the continuing movement of her tongue. “What are you... I mean, why would you...” He had an inkling of what she was referring to, from some of his research, but he hadn’t been able to get past a shudder at the thought of anyone putting their teeth around his member.

 

Jack stopped and stared at him. “Are you shitting me? Shepard didn’t even go down on you? Damn, I thought Commander Girl Scout was more of a giver than that.”

 

Garrus frowned, diffidence lost. “Shepard has done a lot for all of us,” he snapped.

 

“Oh ho!” Jack crowed, pushing herself off the counter. “I thought that’s how it might be. Fine. Have it your way. But if you get bored with her and want to try something a little kinkier, come find me.” She sauntered off toward the elevator.

 

Garrus stared after her, bemused. She’d disappeared around the corner before it occurred to him to wonder how she’d known about him and Shepard.

 

Shaking his head, he headed into the lounge in search of a beer. He found the dextro supply easily enough and opened the bottle, glancing out through the viewing port.

 

“Hello, Garrus.”

 

What was it with people sneaking up on him today? “Hi, Kasumi,” he said. “Didn’t see you there.”

 

She smiled. “That was the idea.”

 

In spite of her choice of profession, Garrus rather liked the thief; she was pleasant and friendly, and he had a certain admiration for her tech prowess. Impressive acrobatic skills, too. She got up and stretched, twisting from side to side. “Say, have you ever considered using a tactical cloak yourself? It seems like a good fit for your skills.”

 

“Not really,” he admitted. “I was trained in old-fashioned methods of concealment, so I stick to what I’m used to.”

 

“It wouldn’t be hard to set up a simple one,” she suggested. “Mind if I take a look at your omni-tool?”

 

He shrugged. “No, that’s fine.” He settled down on the couch, and Kasumi sat next to him, leaning over the tool on his left arm.

 

#

 

Shepard could hear voices as soon as she stepped out of the elevator on deck 3.

 

“I don’t know, man, it’s just weird.” Jacob.

 

“Well, what difference does it make to you?” Joker.

 

“Hey, I’m good with keeping everything professional, all right? But I don’t get why every woman on board is suddenly all over...” Jacob hesitated.

 

“Tall, blue, and spiky?” Joker supplied.

 

Shepard stopped in her tracks before she could round the corner.

 

“Yeah,” Jacob was saying. “I mean, don’t you think it’s weird?”

 

“Do I look like some kind of expert on relationships? Or people? Maybe everyone’s thinking ‘woohoo, we survived a suicide mission, let’s live it up!’ I don’t know.”

 

“But with a turian? Come on.”

 

Shepard bit her lip. After a moment of silence, Joker said, “Hey, Garrus is a good guy. Turian. Whatever. You know what I mean.”

 

“Hey, don’t get me wrong, I like the guy fine, and I don’t have anything against turians. First Contact War was a long time ago, as far as I’m concerned. But I don’t get wanting to get with one, you know? They’re all... points and sharp edges, right? How is that something you want in your bed?”

 

“Don’t look at me, man. EDI? You have any insights?”

 

Shepard had heard enough. Plus, she thought she’d given EDI careful enough instructions about privacy issues, but she couldn’t be certain the AI wasn’t about to spout information she’d rather not have revealed. She strode into the mess hall and greeted both men. Her presence made them drop the subject, as she’d hoped, and they ended up having a completely innocuous conversation that she forgot as soon as both Jacob and Joker headed toward the elevator. She waited until she heard the elevator engage before she sighed and said, “EDI, do you know where Garrus is now?”

 

“He is in the port observation lounge, Shepard.” There was a small pause. “I would not have informed Jeff and Jacob about your conversation with Tali and the others, or about your relationship.”

 

“We’re not in a...” Shepard gave up. “Right. Thanks, EDI.”

 

“Perhaps I should inform you that he is not alone in the lounge.”

 

“Is Kasumi there too?” She winced. “They’re not—”

 

“Kasumi is present, as are Tali, Gabby Daniels, and Kelly Chambers.”

 

“Good Lord,” Shepard muttered. Every time she turned around, it seemed like another member of the crew was hitting on Garrus, and it was bothering her more than she liked to admit. They didn’t have any expectations, after all. It was casual, that was it. Two friends seeking comfort from each other before throwing themselves into the fire. It shouldn’t matter to her who he spent the rest of his off-duty hours with. As a friend, she should be glad that he wasn’t locked up in the battery working himself to the bone and worrying over his sick mother.

 

But the idea of the other women in the crew suddenly trying to hook up with Garrus, because of her ill-timed drunken confession, really bugged her. If she’d just kept her damned mouth shut, they could have kept things as they were, with no one the wiser.

 

The door to the lounge slid open in front of her. Shepard wasn’t quite sure what she’d expected to see—surely EDI would have told her, or locked the door, if she’d been about to interrupt some kind of orgy—but this was almost as bad. Garrus sat on the black leather couch opposite the door, telling some kind of story. Kelly had pulled over an ottoman so she could sit right in front of him, leaning forward, rapt with attention. Tali had taken the seat right next to him. Kasumi was perched on the arm of the couch on his opposite side; both of them were leaning toward him. Only Gabby was sitting in an independent chair. She was laughing, though whether at the story or the behavior of the other women, Shepard wasn’t sure.

 

“You are exaggerating!” Tali proclaimed, laughing. Her knee bumped against his spur.

 

A sudden satisfaction blossomed inside Shepard; Garrus had told her himself he didn’t really like having them touched. Indeed, he’d moved slightly away, but with Kasumi on his other side, he didn’t really have space. “No, not at all,” he replied to Tali. “It happened exactly that way, promise.”

 

“Hi, everyone,” Shepard said loudly. “Room for one more in here?”

 

Kasumi smiled. “Of course, Shep. There’s still a free chair or two.”

 

“Actually, I was just getting up,” Garrus said, doing so and heading for the bar. “Can I get you anything?”

 

“Sure, just grab me a beer.” Shepard planted herself in the space he’d vacated. To her amusement, both Tali and Kasumi moved more upright as soon as she sat down. She was less amused when Kasumi neatly slid off the arm of the couch and stretched, showing off her lithe shape. She was probably very flexible.

 

Before she got too far down that line of thought, Garrus returned and handed her a beer. He had a bottle of the dextro variety for himself, and settled in one of the empty chairs. “What were you all talking about?” Shepard asked. “War stories?”

 

“Exactly,” Garrus said, cracking open his bottle. “You must have had an interesting mission or two, right, Shepard?”

 

Gabby was the first to get up and call it a night, a couple of hours later, although Kelly was drooping on her ottoman by then. Gabby coaxed her along back to the crew quarters. Half an hour later, Kasumi had curled up into a ball on the other couch and seem to have dozed off. Shepard was determined to outlast Tali, though, who was bright and lively and still chattering about missions she’d done for the Migrant Fleet.

 

Finally, Garrus was the one who stood and stretched, rolling his neck and shoulders. “I should turn in, too. Actually, I should check on the programs I left running and then turn in.”

 

“Good night, Garrus,” said Tali brightly. Shepard echoed her as he left.

 

She considered for a minute as she drank the last of her several beers. “I guess I’ll get some shut-eye, too. G’night, Tali.”

 

“Sleep well, Shepard,” Tali said with a wave.

 

Outside the lounge, Shepard started for the elevator and then hesitated, irresolute. She’d had enough beer to feel mellower, not really drunk. She made a decision and wheeled toward the battery instead of the elevator. She slowed as she spotted Garrus coming down the corridor toward her. “How are those programs?” she asked, keeping her voice low.

 

He shrugged. “Doing their job. What brings you this way at night?”

 

“Well.” She scratched the back of her neck. “It’s strange, but I was feeling a little tense.”

 

“Were you now?” He descended the few steps, stopping in front of her. “Do you need some help with that?”

 

“You know, I just might. Know anyone who could help me out?”

 

His voice dropped into his lowest registers, rumbling deliciously. “I might have an idea or two.”

 

“You want to come upstairs with me and discuss it further?”

 

They grinned at each other.


	4. Chapter 4

Shepard cried out, back arching, hands fisting in the sheets. Her thighs trembled, and if she were capable of coherent thought, she would have made a note that she had seriously undersold the pleasures of a turian tongue, hot and limber and clever, teasing at her labia, sliding around her clit, slipping into her, stroking against her g-spot, as she gasped, “Oh oh oh Garrus right there oh oh _God_...”

 

He chuckled, the smug bastard, hot breath and vibration against her sex, and curled his tongue inside her, and she was gone, shuddering and rocking in her climax, until she collapsed onto the bed, boneless and spent. Garrus moved up to sprawl on the bed next to her, idly combing his fingers through her sweat-mussed hair while she collected herself.

 

They hadn’t wasted much time in stripping off all their clothes and getting down to business once they reached the loft, but it was surprisingly comfortable to simply lie here in his loose embrace.

 

“I take it that was satisfactory?” Garrus asked, half laughing.

 

Shepard turned toward him and kissed his scarred mandible, the blue stripes below his eyes, ending with his mouth. They were still figuring out the details, but he’d admitted to liking this, his tongue flicking softly against hers as she licked the lingering taste of herself from his face. “Exemplary,” she said, reaching down to wrap her hand around his erection. He drew in a breath, eyes closing. “Seems like I should return the favor.”

 

He tensed slightly, eyes opening again. “Ah, what did you have in mind?”

 

She smiled. “You used your mouth, I can use mine.”

 

Garrus squirmed a little. “Are you sure about that? I mean, teeth... aren’t...”

 

Shepard bared hers. “Blunt, see? And I know what I’m doing. I think you’ll like it, promise.”

 

He hesitated. She should probably leave well enough alone , she thought, give him some more time to get used to the idea. But part of her wanted to give him something new, something she knew he hadn’t done before. Something special, only from her. She planted another kiss on his mouth. “Do you trust me?”

 

His expression softened. “Of course.”

 

“Then let me try, and if you don’t like it, I’ll stop, okay?”

 

He nodded. They took a moment to rearrange the pillows so he could be more comfortable on his back. She worked her way down his torso slowly, to ease him into it: a kiss here, a lick there, seeking out his sensitive spots with her fingers. She was still learning him, getting familiar with the alien landscape of his body: long smooth overlapping plates giving way to softer skin pebbled with scales, more variety of texture than the expanses of soft human skin she was used to. She had to admit there was an appeal to the alien and exotic. But there was also an appeal to the intimacy of it, to the knowledge that it was Garrus, her friend and comrade, she had in her bed, that it was _her_ touch making him twitch or sigh or squirm.

 

By the time she reached his groin, he was breathing hard. She started with a lick up the side of his cock, base to tip, a slow swipe of her tongue that made his breath hitch. She took it slow and easy, glancing at his face to catch his reaction (mandibles fluttering, minute shifts of his cheek and brow plates, eyes closed). He moaned outright when she finally took him into her mouth and sucked, swirling her tongue around the tip of his cock. She was careful of her teeth as she went, and it wasn’t long before she felt tension rising in his body and he gasped, “Shepard... wait...”

 

“Hmm?” she said, lifting her head. “Too much?”

 

“Too close,” he got out. “I want—” and tugged lightly on her arm. She got the idea immediately, rising to her knees and moving up to straddle him. They weren’t quite used to the optimal angles yet, so there was a moment of awkward positioning before Shepard slid down, her gasp matching his ragged groan. She closed her eyes, adjusting to the heat and the feeling of fullness before she moved. It didn’t take long for him to reach his climax, clutching her tightly, face pressed to her shoulder.

 

Afterward, Shepard lay down again, one arm flung loosely around Garrus’s chest while he idly stroked the curve of her waist and hip. “That, ah, wasn’t what I expected.”

 

Shepard smiled, feeling victorious. “Better?”

 

“Yeah. I mean, I’d seen in some of the vids—and Jack said—but teeth, you know...”

 

“ _Jack_ said?” she repeated, suddenly irritated. She propped herself up one elbow so she could glare at him better. “What did Jack say?”

 

His mandibles fluttered in embarrassment. “Damn. Sorry. I, uh, we didn’t... I just saw her in the galley, and she started talking to me about... Um. I should stop talking about her now, shouldn’t I?”

 

Shepard’s irritation fled as quickly as it had come, as she could all too clearly envision the scene. Trust Jack to be... direct, after all. “Oh. I see.”

 

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

 

“No, that’s...” She ran her fingers through her hair. “That’s probably my fault, kind of.”

 

“What?”

 

“I, um...” Now she found herself looking almost anywhere but directly at him. “I might have had a little too much with the girls the other night and... said some things.”

 

“Oh?” The low, suggestive tone was back in his voice. He’d probably figured out what it did to her, clever bastard. “What things?”

 

She scowled and leveled her finger at him. “Don’t get too full of yourself, you.”

 

His expression had relaxed into a grin. “Seems like I wasn’t the only one full of me.”

 

Shepard groaned, her face heating up, as Garrus laughed. She jumped and squeaked as his wandering fingers found the ticklish spot under her ribs. He recognized his advantage immediately, and soon she was laughing and squirming under the onslaught. It took her a bit of searching before she found a tender spot above his hip that made him squirm in turn. “Truce?” he suggested, his hands going still.

 

She looked up at him looming over her, his eyes brilliant in the dim blue glow from the fish tank. “All right, I said some complimentary things. Happy?”

 

“Yeah,” he said, quietly.

 

For a second her breath caught. Then she said, “C’mere, you,” looped one arm around his neck, and pulled him down for a kiss.


	5. Chapter 5

It took Garrus a moment to realize where he was when he woke up. Then he remembered: Shepard had talked him into staying the night in her quarters, pointing out that she had a bed, big enough for two and more comfortable than the standard-issue Hierarchy military cot he had down in the battery. He’d been hesitant, not wanting to overstep the bounds of whatever they were, but... nobody said no to Shepard when she was determined. Especially him.

 

Beside him, Shepard shifted and muttered something unintelligible. He reached out and laid a hand across her bare back. As he’d hoped, the touch seemed to soothe her; she settled a bit, and he felt the muscles relax slightly under her smooth skin. He withdrew his hand cautiously, but she didn’t move again.

 

Turians didn’t sleep as long as humans did; he checked his omni-tool and found it was his usual waking time, about an hour before Shepard usually made an appearance. He dressed as quietly as he could and took the elevator down to the crew deck.

 

Of course, he then nearly ran into Jack, coming out of the women’s restroom. She looked him up and down, and the corner of her mouth turned up. “Walk of shame, huh?”

 

“What?” asked Garrus blankly.

 

Her dark eyes narrowed. “Don’t fuck with me, turian. I know where you usually sleep, and it’s not anywhere you need an elevator to get to.”

 

“That’s true,” he agreed. “Wait, were you asking if I was coming from Shepard’s quarters? Why would I be ashamed of that?”

 

Jack stared at him again, and then grinned. “Damn straight.” She gave him a punch in the shoulder—a friendly one, he could tell because she was smiling and the punch wasn’t powered with biotics—and sauntered off.

 

Garrus shook his head. Jack was always a puzzle.

 

Several of the human crew were in the mess already, including Kelly, who was chatting with Gardner. She sent a wave and a brilliant smile Garrus’s way as soon as she spotted him.

 

He returned a polite nod, getting his breakfast out of the dextro food storage. He’d no sooner settled down at the table with it when Kelly approached. “Hi, Garrus,” she said breathlessly, leaning over a bit to look him in the eye. “How are you this morning?”

 

“Just fine, Chambers. Um. Kelly.”

 

Her smile widened. She crossed her arms in a way that pressed her breasts closer together, drawing attention to them. “Listen,” she said, her voice dropping into a more intimate register as she leaned even closer, “about what I said yesterday—”

 

She was definitely flirting with him, Garrus realized. Human-style flirtation, and in the same moment he realized it wasn’t humans in general he was attracted to, it was simply Shepard. “I’m sorry,” he interrupted, “you’re a very nice person, and I wish you the best, but—”

 

He didn’t need to finish. She straightened up, her smile falling away. “Well,” she said, “it never hurts to try, does it? Have a good day, Garrus.”

 

She departed with a last wave to Gardner and a laughing exchange with Hadley before she left the room. Garrus breathed a small sigh of relief. He thought he caught a glimpse of Kasumi in his peripheral vision, but when he turned his head, he couldn’t spot her.

 

He was able to finish his breakfast in peace, and was just getting up to return the plate and cutlery when Tali intercepted him.

 

“Garrus! I’ve been looking for you.”

 

“I’ve been here for twenty minutes,” he pointed out. “And EDI can always tell you where I am.”

 

“You know I don’t like to talk to EDI.”

 

Garrus returned the dishes to Gardner and turned back to find that Tali had planted herself on his path to the battery. “What do you need?” he asked.

 

She took a step closer, her voice becoming quieter. “Remember what we were talking about yesterday? You and me?”

 

“Ah... hm. Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck, uncertain. “Just what did you have in mind, Tali?”

 

She looked him up and down. Not for the first time, he wished he had a better view of her face. “I was thinking we could find some privacy, and you could take off all that armor,” she said. “And I might give you the access code to my nerve stimulator.”

 

He cocked his head, looking down at her. “Are you serious?” It was... entirely like her to tease him, after all.

 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” she returned, planting her hands on her hips.

 

Garrus leaned forward slightly, into her space. “You really sure you can handle all this, Tali?”

 

“I can handle anything you’ve got, Garrus.”

 

They stared at each other for a long moment, and then Tali giggled, just a little. Garrus chuckled in response. “You know, Tali, if it’s all the same to you... I think I’ll stick with Shepard for the moment.”

 

“Oh? I thought things were just casual with the two of you?”

 

He shrugged. “Yeah, but...”

 

“I get it.” She reached up and patted his scarred mandible gently, laughing. “Well, if she breaks your heart, I’ll buy you a drink.”

 

“I’ll take you up on that,” he chuckled, and went on his way.

 

#

 

The other side of the bed was empty when Shepard woke up.

 

There wasn’t anything unusual about that. That was how she woke up most mornings. But this morning, there was still a bit of a depression in the mattress, and the sheets still smelled of him, and she felt a pang of something she couldn’t quite name. She picked up the second pillow and breathed in, the lingering scent that was alien and familiar all at once. She made a face at herself. She was being stupid. Sappy. Romantic. All the things she’d told herself she wasn’t going to bring to this. They were grown-ups and friends. They could have a little fun together without going full soap opera. God.

 

She tossed the pillow aside and got up to take her shower. Her private quarters on this private ship didn’t have the four-minute cut-off of an Alliance vessel, and she’d gotten to like luxuriating in the warm water. She felt a little guilty about it, since it was so self-indulgent of her, but she did it anyway. She imagined Garrus taking a shower with her, what he might look like with water streaming over his silvery hide. She smiled at the thought, but before she could work up a good fantasy, her imagination intruded with less welcome images: Jack’s tattooed back writhing over him, Kelly with her red head bobbing over his cock, Kasumi, as limber and acrobatic in bed as she was in the field.

 

Shepard slammed her hand onto the controls, turning the water off. The cold air shocked her skin. “Damnation,” she muttered. She had to face up to it: she was jealous. Just the thought of him with someone else was making her green. This was why she shouldn’t fuck around with people on the ship.

 

She started toweling off briskly, a little rougher than necessary. She was a grown woman and a marine; she could handle a little jealousy. She strode out of the bathroom, her hair still damp, and stopped short at the side of the empty bed. The sheets were rumpled and mussed, and the imprints of two bodies, human and turian were still visible.

 

Disappointment. That’s what she’d felt, when she’d first woken up and found the bed empty.

 

“Damnation,” she said again, softly. No strings attached, she’d said. Just you and me, blowing off steam, she’d said. How was she supposed to go back on that now and say she wanted him all to herself? Especially without making it seem like an order? The last thing she wanted to do was put pressure on him, force him into something he might not want. He’d said himself he didn’t have a thing for humans. Broadening one’s horizons for a casual fling was one thing. For something serious? She’d better brace herself for rejection, and she wasn’t sure she could handle that right now.

 

#

 

Shepard descended to the crew deck, uniformed and fortified with a plan. Coffee. Breakfast. Check in with Miranda. Make the rounds. She could sort out her love life later, on her own time.

 

Her plans went out the window as soon as she rounded the corner and saw Garrus and Tali. He was standing with his back to Shepard, looking down into Tali’s faceplate, tipped up toward him. They were standing a little too close for casual conversation, weren’t they? Shepard couldn’t hear what they saying, but she heard Tali laugh and saw her reach up to pat his scarred mandible. Garrus laughed in turn, patted her on the shoulder, and headed off toward the battery.

 

Shepard swallowed. Not _Tali_. The other women were one thing, but there was a friendship and history there. Maybe enough to...

 

“Good morning, Shepard!” Tali sang out cheerfully. Shepard tore her eyes away from Garrus’s retreating back to look at her. Tali blinked back innocently enough, but there was something in the tilt of her head that Shepard wasn’t sure she liked. She hated herself immediately. Tali was her _friend_.

 

Fuck it. She had to go talk to Garrus _now_ , before she lost her nerve and screwed something up. “Excuse me, Tali,” she muttered, brushing past on her way down the corridor.

 

She didn’t hear whatever Tali said behind her as the battery doors slid open and she stormed through. “I need to talk to you,” she burst out.

 

“Of course,” said Garrus, turning around from the console. “What do you... Shepard, what’s wrong?”

 

She leaned her back against the closed doors, feeling as if she were in the middle of a sprint. Breathing hard, sweaty palms, the works. And Garrus was looking at her with real alarm now. Better say _something_. “I don’t want to do this casual thing,” she blurted.

 

“Oh.” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking away. “Well, I can’t say that’s not disappointing, but—”

 

“No, wait,” she interrupted desperately. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

 

His eyes returned to hers. “You didn’t?”

 

“No. I meant—you mean a lot more to me than that. I’m not okay with this just being casual any more, that’s what I’m trying to say. But if you don’t... if you don’t feel that way, then...” Then she really wasn’t sure what she’d do.

 

“Shepard.” Garrus crossed the distance to her in two long strides, set his hands on her shoulders, and leaned forward until his forehead rested against hers. Her breath caught. She had a guess about what this gesture meant to him, but it was only a guess. Still, he wouldn’t do this if he meant to turn her down, would he? She could feel the warmth radiating from his skin, and his eyes were intent on hers. He said in a low voice, “I was hoping you might say that, but I didn’t want to presume.”

 

She leaned forward until she could press her lips against his mouth and wrap her arms around his neck, heedlessly molding herself against the unyielding surface of his armor. His arms slid around her, nearly lifting her onto her toes.

 

She was breathless by the time they broke the kiss and she dropped back down. Garrus looked almost as shocked as she felt. “Sounds like we’re agreed, then. But I thought you didn’t have a fetish for humans,” she said, to cover.

 

He shrugged. “I don’t. It’s just you, Shepard.”

 

For that, she had to kiss him all over again.

 

 


End file.
